“Over the course of more than fifty years, I have seen labor strife take its toll, not only on my ensembles,” writes conductor Leonard Slatkin in a Monday (8/5) guest column in veteran classical-music journalist Tim Smith’s blog. Slatkin: “Each musical leader must ask themselves: Should I get involved or stay on the sidelines? It is a valid query, but one that is filled with potential peril, no matter which path the conductor chooses…. Whenever the musical head of an organization takes the side of the orchestra or board, he or she has no impact whatsoever on the result of any negotiations between labor and management!… All of us who lead orchestras automatically want our players to do better in every aspect of the profession. But the music director has absolutely no say in anything related to the contract between the American Federation of Musicians and the Board of Directors…. The music director is the leading artistic voice in almost every community. They come up with initiatives, build their ensembles, engage in fund raising activities and devote their hearts and souls to the orchestras they lead…. With this kind of commitment, does it really make any sense for the music director not to have a voice in the future of his or her group?… Making that person who stands on the podium part of the process could be the start of a meaningful dialogue.”
Posted August 5, 2019
